Kris Van Assche

RAT PACK REBELLIONParis: Kris Van Assche never strays far from a clean cut uniform that speaks as much about his design restraint as it does his understanding of masculine clothes with a subtle edge. After a recent trip to Los Angeles, the designer got to thinking about how clothing is often used to express rebellion, and in a city like LA (full of distressed denim and t-shirts) dark suits, striped knits and heavy-soled boots would make a guy stand out from the crowd. Also using the awkward transition from boyhood into manhood as an inspiration, silhouettes were ill-fitting — like cropped pants, boxy jackets and oversized polos. With a more sophisticated flare than the active-centric seasons of past, Van Assche offered options to a new generation of men who dress up because they want to, not because they have to. —Michael Fisher